


A Moment of Clarity

by Callisto



Series: Season 5 codas [9]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Coda, Episode Related, Episode: s05e11 Sam Interrupted, Gen, Season/Series 05
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-09
Updated: 2011-04-09
Packaged: 2017-10-17 19:43:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/180519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Callisto/pseuds/Callisto
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>They’re two states over and in a grocery store when Dean has the chance to undo a few things. He’s got shaving cream in one hand and a packet of Oreos in the other, and he rounds aisle three to see Sam with tissues in one hand and a four-year-old in the other.</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	A Moment of Clarity

**Author's Note:**

> _Sam: “After what happened last night, I had a moment of clarity. I realized there’s no such thing as monsters.” 5.11 --Sam, Interrupted--_
> 
> Thanks to Ancasta for her spidey sense.

They’re two states over and in a grocery store when Dean has the chance to undo a few things. He’s got shaving cream in one hand and a packet of Oreos in the other, and he rounds aisle three to see Sam with tissues in one hand and a four-year-old in the other. He knows she’s four because Sam is all folded up at crouch level asking her, and she’s just hitched in a sob to tell him.

Dean is about to step forward and get into the fray, but something in Sam’s face and the girl’s focus has him hanging back behind the cereals for a moment.

“There we go. Yeah, you’re okay. We’re okay, right?” Sam is cleaning away her tears with his fingers and the tissue, and he’s got the softest smile on his face.

“What’s your name, honey?”

Dean thinks he hears ‘Rosie’, but it’s hard to tell because she’s turned towards Sam, swinging back and forth a little as she wipes her own chubby hands across her cheeks. She’s in a dark red coat all sensibly buttoned against the cold, with shiny black shoes over thick white socks, so Dean figures that whatever the problem is, it’s not neglect. And sure enough...

“Well how about we go find your mom, then? Would that be okay?”

And then Sam is unfolding himself, and this tiny scared person is nodding and blinking up at him. Dean watches her slip her right hand into Sam’s like it’s the safest place in the world, and he has to duck his head and move away.

 

When Sam finally makes it out, Dean is leaning back on the Impala’s hood watching him approach.

“Sorry. There was a kid, she lost her mom and I had to stay with her till she showed up.”

“I know. Here.”

Sam blinks at the no-foam vanilla latte Dean thrusts at him. They both know Dean only ever gets Sam’s favorite drink on very special occasions, since he can hardly say the words aloud with a straight face.

“Wow. Thanks.”

Dean feels a little guilty at how surprised Sam is by the gesture. He resolves to get his head out of the apocalypse and maybe make a few more.

But first things first...

He looks left, to where Sam is leaning and sipping beside him.

“You’re an idiot.”

“Dude, she was lost! I couldn’t just—”

“Of course you couldn’t. And I’m not talking about that. Which hey, kinda makes you even more of an idiot.”

“Hey!”

“Hey yourself, Mister I Am Full of Wrath And Rage. You’re busted, Sam, I saw you. You had that scared little girl looking up at you like you were a puppy and a box of rainbows sent down just for her.” Dean shook his head. “Fuckin’ _marshmallow_ is what you are.”

Sam ducks his head and scuffs his boots on the ground. “Yeah?”

It’s not the only truth out there and they both know it. But that embarrassed half-smile on Sam’s face looks good, and that’ll do for right now.

“Yeah, so get your child whispering ass into the driver’s seat for a while, I’m beat. And no spilling any of that no-foam no-taste crap anywhere.”

Sam grins and socks him in the arm with his free hand on his way around to the driver’s side.

Dean drains his cup and thinks he might be able to say no-foam vanilla latte once in a while.

******


End file.
